Lions and Elephants and Birds, oh my!
by AkinaNe
Summary: Short, fluffy one-shot. The team debates over their animal counterparts.


**Went to the zoo today... just a quick oneshot that came into my head. Mostly team banter and fun fluff. Any errors are on me :)**

**Disclaimer: In case you haven't guessed, ncis:la isn't mine.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Kensi held the phone up, screen facing her and Deeks. "Smile," she said brightly, leaning her head against Deeks' shoulder. She touched the screen, the phone clicking as it took a picture of them.

In actuality she carefully angled the phone so that it took photos of the man across the path from them. Dark brown hair, brown eyes, he was talking to a sweating blonde-haired zoo worker.

She kept shooting off 'selfies' until Deeks sneakily clicked the photo reverse button and she caught a shot of the two of them like she'd been pretending to. "Deeks!" She punched him in the arm.

"Ow! Was that really necessary?"

Callen, crouched with a full-fledged camera a couple yards away, smirked. "When is it not?"

Sam, leaning against the fence to the monkeys, snorted.

The suspect pushed his finger into the worker's chest then pointed down the path and stalked off. Kensi and Deeks, arms slung around each other, followed. The rest of the team tailed the man as well, all at different paces.

"So, honey-bear, ah!" Deeks tried to hide his grimace with a smile. "That hurt!"

Kensi snickered, successfully having pinched him in the side. She could get used to this arm around the waist thing.

"Fine, no honey-bear," he continued. "I was going to ask, what animal do you think I'm most similar to?"

"Pig," she responded with no hesitation.

Deeks paused in his stride. "Okay, that stings."

San passed them with his long strides. "Why? What were you thinking of, Deeks? A lion?"

Kensi considered him. "They do both have golden manes."

Deeks flicked his messy, blonde hair out of his eyes, a wide smile on his face.

"Don't say that, Sam," Callen exclaimed. "That would make Kensi his lioness."

Loud groaning could be heard from Kensi's mike. "Sam, I hate you."

"Sorry." But she could hear his grin.

"Lioness. I like that." Deeks pulled her closer and talked into her hair. "Callen, drop back. Suspect's looking at you."

Callen immediately sidestepped to the next exhibit and got down on one knee. He pretended to fiddle with his camera before raising it to his eyes.

"G, you better get some good shots of the elephants before we're gone."

He took the camera away from his eye abruptly. "The elephants?"

"Yeah. Big, strong, wise."

"Remind you of yourself? Always knew you were smug."

Sam veered off and looked up into the birds. "Not smug, accurate. What are you, G? Bird? Flying wherever you want?"

"Nah, too social," said Kensi. "He's more of a snake. Silent, sneaky."

"Whispering poisoned lies from the devil's tongue," said Deeks, quoting the dirty priest from their last case.

"What is this? Pick on Callen day?"

"Nell might make a good bird," Kensi mused.

Deeks laughed. "And Eric is the fly on the wall with all his spy gear."

"I'm not sure if I should be offended… or take the compliment on my tech skills," Eric's voice came crackling over the comms.

The team grinned as they slowly kept making their way across the zoo.

"Wait," Kensi held Deeks back and pulled him into a hug. "Suspect is moving into the building. 'Non-employees prohibited.' Employee is following him." As soon as the men disappeared behind the door she stepped back.

Callen and Sam walked up to them quickly. "Follow?"

"Your call, Callen."

The three studied the team leader as he ran through scenarios in his mind. "Follow. We don't know when, if, they'll smuggle again." He stripped off his vest and camera, setting them on a nearby bench.

Kensi sighed. If they got stolen Hetty would have his head.

They all made their way over to the building for general incoming storage—according to the schematics Eric had pulled. Behind the trees sheltering the doors, they took out their guns. Callen motioned to open the door on three. They all slipped in to the single hallway where they walked down, two abreast.

"You idiot! I said—"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

The first voice spoke again. "Shut him up."

"Yes, boss," two others said.

The team frowned, they couldn't check for the animals with a man in danger. They'd have to hope the cages were there and move in blind.

"No, no, please! I said I was sorry! I am! I won't do it again. Please, don't shoot me—"

"NCIS! Drop your weapons!" The team bellowed rounding the corner, causing instant chaos. Bullets fired, whizzing past ears and hitting walls, or in the bad guys' flesh. The original suspect spun around and ran out a side door.

"Kensi, runner!" Shouted Callen, tackling the surviving henchmen. Sam was handcuffing the trembling zoo employee. Deeks took after Kensi.

He emerged from the building in time to see Kensi tackle and bring down the suspect. On lookers gasped and screamed when they say the guns. He ran up, kicking away the suspect's, and kept his own aimed at the man's head. "Don't move," he warned.

Kensi jerked the man's arms back, zip-tying his wrists together tightly. She stood and wrenched him to his feet. "Sergeant James Mathews, you're under arrest for the smuggling of endangered animals."

Deeks grinned as he put away his gun. "Nice tackle, my lioness."

She rolled her eyes. But when Deeks turned away to return to Callen and Sam, she smiled. Lioness. She liked that. Better than Fern, anyways.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Tell me what you think 3 Critiques/reviews are loved and welcomed.**


End file.
